Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 hour 25 min (includes 1 hour simmer time)

This basic marinara recipe yields 3 sauce variations and lots of meal ideas, from family-friendly pizza to a veggie-packed summer ragout. I started making my own marinara when I evaluated the savings of doing so — ounce per ounce, making your own marinara saves $1 per cup compared to the jarred stuff, and it is so much healthier. Look at the nutrition label on the back of your favorite brand next time you’re at the supermarket, check the sodium and sugar content, and prepare to be shocked! It’s easy to dress up a batch of straight-up marinara with other ingredients, such as black olives, red-pepper flakes, and capers, to turn it into arrabbiata, puttanesca, or a vodka sauce. This makes seven 2-cup portions, each of which serves 6.

Ingredients
1⁄4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 large sprigs fresh oregano
2 large yellow onions, finely diced
3 quarts (a #10 can) crushed or diced tomatoes (or eight 14-ounce cans)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make the sauce. Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large pot and add the garlic, basil, and oregano. Cook until the herbs are simmering and the oil is infused with their flavor, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the onions and increase the heat to medium, cooking until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have completely broken down and the sauce is thick, about 1 hour.

Divide and store. Cool the sauce to room temperature, remove and discard the oregano sprigs, and then divide into 4 quart-size resealable zip-top bags (you’ll get 3 bags with 4 cups in each, and 1 bag with 2 cups). Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months (if freezing, place freezer bags on their side on a baking sheet so they freeze flat for easy stacking and storage).

Shop Smart
It saves to buy big, so instead of being finicky over what kind of canned tomatoes my market has in their giganto can aisle, I’ll make do with what I find. If it’s crushed tomatoes, I’m golden. If it’s diced tomatoes, I’ll run them through the blender or food processor until they’re semismooth and retain just a little chunkiness. Keeping your options open gives you wiggle room—and more change in your pocket.

D2D
When you’re done with a zip-top bag, you can reuse it a few more times (especially if you buy the heavy-duty resealable bags) by sterilizing it in the dishwasher on the top shelf. don’t try this with the dollar-store cheapies, though—they can melt.

D2D
In the summertime, my garden overflows with tomatoes and herbs, so instead of buying canned tomatoes to make marinara, I use about 10 large and juicy sun-ripened ones instead. you can peel and seed the tomatoes if you like (I don’t bother), and you may have to cook the sauce just a bit longer to compensate for all the juiciness you’re adding to the pot. add whatever fresh herbs you have or need pruning.

Tags: freezable, kid-friendly, marinara, pasta sauce, prepare in advance, sauce Permalink: http://www.myd2d.com/2010/03/classic-basil-marinara/
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